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China’s urban fixed-asset investment rose 26.8 percent year-on-year in the first 11 months of 2007, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said on Friday.

The figure indicates that several attempts to cool investment, such as higher interest rates, have had little impact. Fixed-asset investment was up 26.9 percent in the first 10 months of the year.

Urban fixed-asset investment stood at 10.06 trillion yuan (1.36trillion U.S. dollars) for the 11 months, said the NBS. Figures for November alone, however, were not broken out separately.

Wang Tongsan, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), said the latest figures indicated that investment was declining at a slow but steady pace.

“The figure was based upon the already high growth rate for the first ten months,” said Song Guoqing, a researcher with Peking University.

He added, however, the figures also showed the government’s tightening measures had done little to curb fixed asset investment, and he said he expected the government to beef up its tightening efforts in a bid to prevent investment from expanding further.

Investment in state-owned and state-controlled enterprises was 4.39 trillion yuan, up 16.3 percent, down from 16.6 percent for the first 10 months.

Investment by the central government eased, expanding just 12.8 percent year-on-year, compared with 13.8 percent for the first 10 months. Local governments, however, showed no change, with their investment rising 28.6 percent, matching the figure for the first 10 months.

Real estate investment actually accelerated slightly, expanding by 31.8 percent year-on-year, compared with 31.4 percent for the first 10 months, to 2.16 trillion yuan.

Primary industry (farming, fishing, forestry and the like) continued to grow the fastest among industrial sectors, expanding 37.6 percent during the first 11 months. That compared with secondary and tertiary industries, whose investment rose 29.7 percent and 24.4 percent, respectively.

The first 11 months saw the construction of 211,127 new projects begin, 24,124 more than the same period last year. Planned investment in these new projects was 7.36 trillion yuan, up 28 percent.

An interim report into laws governing international education in Australia has urged tougher rules for organizations wanting to register as providers.

Australian Education Minister Julia Gillard welcomed the release of the report on Thursday, saying it would help inform the final report which former Liberal Member of Parliament Bruce Baird will present to the government in early 2010.

The Baird Review highlighted more effective consumer protection and stronger, simpler regulation as two essential reforms needed to strengthen international education.

Recommendations in the report included the need for a tougher gateway for organizations to register as international education providers, improved arrangements for student tuition protection and better complaints handling and support mechanisms.

Baird held forums with almost 200 students and providers from the tertiary, English language course providers and school sectors.

He also met with provider and student peak bodies, key embassies, regulators and state and territory government officials.

The review received about 150 written submissions and more than 300 people participated in an online forum.

The suspect in the deadly shooting attack at the Fort Hood U.S. Army base was charged Wednesday with 32 specifications of attempted premeditated murder, military officials said.

The charges are added to the 13 premeditated murder charges filed against Army psychiatrist Nidal Malik Hasan for the 13 people who were fatally shot on Nov. 5 at Fort Hood in central Texas.

The 32 specifications of attempted premeditated murder are related to 30 soldiers and two civilians injured in the shooting, a Fort Hood news release said, adding that more charges are possible.

The latest charges come less than 24 hours after Hasan’s civilian attorney was notified that the Army wants a formal psychiatric review to determine whether Hasan can stand trial on murder charges as well as his mental state at the time of the shooting.

The results of the psychiatric review, which involves psychological testing and interviews by a board of mental health professionals, could prevent Hasan from being sent to death row or even being tried at all, although those scenarios are unlikely, experts said.

Hasan remains in intensive care at a San Antonio military hospital, paralyzed from the waist down after being shot by two civilian police officers during the shooting rampage at the Fort Hood base.

Hasan, 39, allegedly opened fire on Nov. 5 with two handguns on unarmed soldiers who were preparing for deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan at a soldier readiness area at Fort Hood, the country’s largest military installation.

The shooting spree, which killed 13 people and wounded more than 30, has been described as the deadliest mass shooting at a U.S. military installation.

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf took oath for a five-year term as a civilian president Thursday, one day after he relinquished the post of army chief, a post he kept for over nine years.

Musharraf came to power by the title of chief executive in a bloodless coup in Oct. 1999 that displaced the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and installed Musharraf, who has been chief of army staff since 1998.

Musharraf was known in Pakistan as President General Musharraf in recent years, a title showing the unseparable side of him as an army man.

He impressed the public as an intelligent man capable of an approach unique and ideal in solving difficult problems, keeping cool under all circumstances and mindful of long-term effects of contemplated actions.

“The attitude has been forthright and candid with the result that all actions have always met with success,” an author by the name of Masood Ahmad wrote recently in the local newspaper The Nation.

Musharraf was born on Aug. 11, 1943 in old Delhi of India. His family moved to live in Pakistan after the partition of India and Pakistan. He joined the Pakistan Military Academy in 1961 at the age of 18 and was commissioned an artillery officer in 1964.

He was awarded a medal for bravery in fighting against India in1965 and also participated in the 1971 war against India as a company commander.

He also trained at the British Royal College of Defense Studies. His performance report says: “a capable, articulate and extremely personable officer, who made a most valuable impact here. His country is fortunate to have the services of a man of his undeniable quality.”

The man has used his intelligence to overcome relatively humble roots and rise through military ranks to major general in 1991, to lieutenant general in 1995 and, later, to general on Oct. 7, 1998,when he was appointed chief of army staff, a post he kept for over nine years.

Musharraf first became president in 2001 and his presidency was confirmed in a referendum in 2002, giving him a five-year term.

He had recently been maneuvering for a transition in Pakistan from military to civilian presidency. Winning presidential polls with a majority on Oct. 6, Musharraf relinquished his post as army chief on Nov. 28.

The move was welcomed by the general public as well as opposition leaders and described as an “extraordinary development” by local media.

Musharraf took oath as a civilian president for a five-year term on Nov. 29. A move, he said, was a milestone in Pakistan’s transition to democracy.

A business man in the southern city of Karachi said, “now everything is clear. He is the genius that is required to control Pakistan.”

Musharraf is married, with two children Ayla and Bilal, each of whom has two children. He is fond of old songs and likes to swim and play tennis.

The “Water Cube,” one of the two iconic venues for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, was unveiled on Monday.

Known officially as the National Aquatics Center, the Water Cube has been dubbed the “cool” building of the Games. The building’s design and its translucent, blue-toned outside skin make it look like a cube of bubbles - like “bubble wrap.”

Forty-two gold medals well be handed out at the Water Cube during the Olympics, which start August 8.

It was the public’s first look at the building after a little more than three years of construction.

The venue has 6,000 permanent and 11,000 temporary seats. Like the 91,000-seat National Stadium - the “Bird’s Nest,” which will be completed in March - both are seen as works of art and will anchor the Olympic Green area.

The Water Cube has been built to be converted to a shopping area and leisure center with tennis courts, retail outlets, nightclubs and restaurants.

“This building was designed for use after the games,” said John Pauline of PTW Architects, one of the lead architects on the Water Cube. “We were looking at 30 or 40 years from now.”

The outside skin is made of a Teflon-like material, ETFE (ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene). Composed of two layers, it’s separated by an interior passage that allows the building to breathe like a greenhouse.

The Water Cube was built at a cost of more than US$200 million (euro136 million), with donations of US$110 million (euro75 million) from people in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan Province.

There will be 37 venues for the Olympics. Beijing is the site of 31, 12 new, 11 renovated, and eight temporary structures. Most are located in four clusters in the north of the city. Five more venues for soccer and sailing are located outside Beijing, and equestrian events will be held in Hong Kong.

Organizers will stage a swim meet in the Water Cube on Friday to test the facilities.

For a man who is usually the epitome of a cool and collected champion, Roger Federer is clearly rattled.

The last time the Swiss had failed to win a tournament within the first two months of a season was in 2000 - and that when his trophy haul totaled zero.

Monday’s first-round defeat by Andy Murray in the Dubai Championships, where he had been the defending champion, meant he had suffered back-to-back losses for the second time in four months.

After his bid to retain his Australian Open title was derailed by Novak Djokovic in the semifinals in January, Federer had expected to return to the winner’s circle this week.

But his strategy of cutting his schedule to preserve his health and fitness for the more important titles seems to be backfiring.

Whereas most of his rivals have already competed in three or four tournaments this year before arriving in the Middle East, Federer was playing in only his second event.

“My expectations are not sky-high at this point,” the 26-year-old, who has spent a record 214 consecutive weeks at the top of the world rankings, said on Monday.

“Obviously I haven’t played much so you don’t go in with any expectations.”

But the Swiss master is clearly not used to being on a losing run.

After failing to earn even a break-point during his humbling by Murray, Federer’s frustrations spilled over during the post-match conference and he criticized the 20-year-old Briton’s tactics.

“I don’t think he’s changed his game a whole lot since I played him in the Bangkok final (in 2005),” the Swiss said following the 6-,7 6-3, 6-4 defeat.

“Not that I’m disappointed but I really would have thought he would have changed it in some ways.

“He tends to wait a lot for the mistakes of the opponent. I gave him the mistakes.”

The government should increase the flexibility of macro-control measures to achieve better economic growth, Ma Weihua, a member of the CPPCC, said.

“While it’s necessary to stick to macro-control measures, policymakers could make more detailed and scientific targets and distinguish the unique needs of different sectors,” Ma, who is also president of the China Merchants Bank, said.

Ma cited his own bank as an example.

Since the end of last year, the bank has had to slow its overall loan growth significantly, as the central bank decided to tighten credit to slow down the economy and curb inflation.

“Due to the loan quotas, we have to curb both our consumer credit business as well as loans for fixed-asset investment,” Ma said.

“But consumer credit growth is actually conducive for boosting consumption, a sector that needs to be strengthened. ”

Over the past year, the central bank raised the amounts that commercial banks needed to put aside in deposits on 10 occasions, so as to soak up liquidity and cool excessive investment.

It also set up loan quotas for local lenders.

Such measures were introduced to curb the nation’s loan growth, which gained 16.4 percent year-on-year in 2007, up 1.9 percentage points from 2006.

“The tightening measures should be adjusted according to the situation to achieve better results,” Liu Mingkang, chairman of the China Banking Regulatory Commission and a CPPCC member, said.

Liverpool and Chelsea will meet in the Champions League semifinals for the third time in four years after their quarterfinal wins on Tuesday.

Liverpool snatched a 5-3 aggregate victory over Arsenal in a thriller match after two late goals gave it a 4-2 win in a dramatic all-English clash at Anfield.

Chelsea ground out a 2-0 home win over Turkish champion Fenerbahce to overturn a 2-1 first leg deficit and earn a shot at the 2005 winners after two semifinal defeats to them.

Liverpool will take on Chelsea in confident mood after eliminating Arsenal in a spectacular finish with substitute Ryan Babel swinging the tie their way.

The Dutchman won an 85th-minute penalty converted by captain Steven Gerrard and sealed the win in injury time after Arsenal looked to have done enough to go through.

Abou Diaby fired Arsenal into a 13th minute lead with an angled shot but a Sami Hyypia header and a superb Fernando Torres goal turned it in Liverpool’s favor.

Arsenal once again silenced the raucous home crowd when Emmanuel Adebayor rounded off a brilliant solo run by Theo Walcott to make it 2-2 and give the visitors the away goal edge on aggregate.

But Liverpool responded immediately as Babel burst into the box straight from the restart and was fouled by Kolo Toure.

Gerrard drilled in the spot-kick and Babel sent the Anfield faithful into raptures with a cool finish in injury time after racing clear of Cesc Fabregas.

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez praised his team’s character.

“This will go down as a great European night,” he said. “Arsenal played well in the first half and then there were six goals and we won, so our fans will be happy.

“We started badly and were giving the ball away. Then we conceded a goal, but I was pleased with the character of the players and the way they reacted.”

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger however blamed the defeat on Swedish referee Peter Frojdfeldt and naive defending.

“We have a feeling of disappointment and injustice. At the moment it is difficult because the whole dressing room is down,” he said.

“The game is over for us. It was down to a dodgy decision, I believe, from the referee. We had so much control but we were naive and we lacked a bit defensively.”

Chelsea booked its own passage into the last four in a nervy finish at Stamford Bridge with Fenerbahce threatening to cancel out Michael Ballack’s fourth-minute header that put Avram Grant’s side in the driving seat.

The German glanced the ball into the top corner after Frank Lampard delivered a perfect cross at the near post from a freekick but Chelsea looked jittery whenever the visitors came forward.

Both sides missed several chances before Lampard sealed Chelsea’s second successive semifinal berth in the 87th minute.

He was left with a simple tap-in after Michael Essien, who will miss the first leg of the semifinal clash with Liverpool through suspension, muscled his way past two defenders and squared a low cross into the five-yard box.

Grant was pleased with his team’s determination and optimistic about its chances of reaching its first Champions League final.

“I feel good because our target was to be in the semifinal. It was not easy. We started well but then it was a nervous game…the most important thing was the result.

“I am an optimist by nature… When I took over the team I believed we could do good things… now we are close of course I believe.”

Austria kept their Euro 2008 hopes alive after an injury-time penalty awarded the co-hosts a 1-1 draw with Poland in their second-round Group B match on Thursday.

Ivica Vastic kept his cool to convert the penalty earned by Sebastian Prodl to cancel out Poland’s first half goal by Roger Guerreiro, avoiding Austria’s early exit from their first European tour.

English referee Howard Webb ruled that Mariusz Lewandowski hauled down Prodl and substitute Vastic had the honor to slam in Austria first-ever European championship goal.

“He did make a foul,” said Prodl, “It does not only belong to our team but to the whole nation.”

Vastic believed they still had the chance to beat Germany and emerge as group runners-up after Croatia, who had advanced into quarterfinals following a 2-1 win over favorites Germany earlier.

“Goal, goal, goal,” the Linz forward said,” I’m confident we can still score more goals in the following matches.”

Guerreiro opened the scoring for Pland, hammering in a deflection from close range after 30 minutes.

Marek Saganowski picked up a cross with his chest and although his efforts was deflected, the ball went into Gurreiro’s path who did not squander the chance.

Austrians, with vocal home support, went into complete domination from the very beginning with pace and sharpness, firing seven shots already within the opening 20 minutes compared to Poland’s one.

But a superb Boruc blocked all their chances in the live-or-die second-round match with both sides losing their opening games on Sunday.

Werder Bremen’s Martin Harnick, who celebrated his 21-year-old birthday two days ago, missed two golden opportunities in three minutes including one utilizing a Poland defence lapse as Boruc reacted quickly to come to rescue.

Christoph Leitgeb also went close to goal in the 16th minute.

Poland, cheered up by their unexpected first half edge, fully recovered after the restart and their penetration forced Prodl’s second yellow card of the tournament, which would see him missing their final group game against Germany.

Austria’s keeper Jurgen Macho did no worse than his counterpart with a 62nd minute double save, the first with his leg from Jacek Bak and then punching away Mariusz Lewandowski’s follow-up effort.

He also showed his determination to parry Jacek Krzynowek’s powerful free kick, leaping in the air and scooping the ball over the bar with his right hand.

A Chinese couple in an eastern Chinese county woke up early on Friday morning to witness probably the most exciting day for millions in the country.

The husband Lu Jie was invited to attend a young colleague’s wedding. Sticking to the popular belief, the young man arranged his wedding day on the most auspicious day according to Chinese numerology: Aug. 8, 2008.

His wife stayed at home, watching snippets of the Olympics opening ceremony rehearsal, and she couldn’t wait to see a complete show.

“Seven years of preparation will boil down to this single big show, and every one is waiting,” said Lu, 50.

The Olympic opening ceremony, which is scheduled to start at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, is set to become another pinnacle of five thousand years of host China’s journey from an ancient country to the biggest and fastest developing countries in the world.

From the host city Beijing to the remotest town in China, like Lu, millions are waiting for the moment of jubilee in the iconic Bird’s Nest stadium.

“There is so much expectation weighing down, but inevitably it’ll be a fluent and spectacular show of the Olympic spirit and the culture of the host country,” said Wang Ning, an official with the opening ceremony planners.

Although further details are yet to be out in just hours, the ceremony will begin with a 40-minute show, featuring 15,000 performers depicting 5,000 years of Chinese history.

Highlights include the terra cotta warriors, martial arts performers, Peking Opera and dazzling fireworks shows. The climax will include Chinese singer Liu Huan singing a theme song with Sarah Brightman and the lighting of the Olympic cauldron.

“The opening ceremony will tell a Chinese story with a globally-understood language, but it will not be a simple exhibition nor history lesson,” director Zhang Yimou said this week.

“The Athens Games opening ceremony was an aesthetic feat, and was a very cool show,” he said, “but the Beijing show will be another kind of cool.”

“We have to use four grams to move a thousand kilos,” he said, referring to the shadow-boxing technique of using minimal efforts to achieve maximum effects.

The ceremony will be witnessed by over 80 heads of state and international dignitaries, along with 91,000 spectators and billions of audience around the world.